Advertising apparatus.



N0. 636,72l. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

W. H." GILMAN.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

("'0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Shee l.

gag/1555555- i fV Efi tU'lC 6 DZ. /%M- No. 636,72l. Patented Nov.7,1899. W. H. GILMAN.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 697.

(No Model.)

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awm i1 7 No. 636,72l. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

' I W. H. GILMAN.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES WILLARD GILMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BYDIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FREDERICK L. MILLIKEN, TRUSTEE, OF

MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,721, dated November'7, 1899.

Application filed August 28, 1897- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD H. GILMAN, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Advertising Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effectiveapparatus for interro mittently displaying symbols in accordance with apredetermined program upon a trans 1 lucent pane bearing a picture ordesign, the symbols being, for example, the letters of the alphabetdisplayed in such order that they spell out a word or series of words.

The invention consists in an advertising apparatus comprising the novelfeatures of construction and arrangement which I shall now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of the interior of astreet-car provided with an advertising apparatus constructed inaccordance z 5 with myinvention,the front covering or translucent paneof the display-casing being omitted. Fig. 2 represents a side elevationSllOW-x ing the principal parts of the apparatus. Fig. 3 represents adiagrammatic view showing one of the incandescent lamps and the branchcircuit in which it is included. Fig. 4 represents a view of a portionof the perforated sheet or strip which automatically breaks and closesthe branch circuits. Fig. 5 represents 3 5 a front elevation of thedisplay-casing.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts inall the figures.

In the drawings, a a represent a series of incandescent electric lampswhich are ar ranged in a group in any suitable order, each lamp beinginclosed in a cell or casing b, which has a light-outlet in the form ofa symbol, such as a letter of the alphabet. I prefer to employ a seriesof lamps corresponding in number to the number of letters in thealphabet, so that any word or series of words can be spelled out byilluminating the lamps successively in suitable order. The light-open-Serial No. 649,842. (No model.)

'ings of the cells 27 may be formed by applying to a sheet or plate 0 ofglass, which extends across the outer ends of the cells I), an opaquecoating of paint or other suitable material, said coating beinginterrupted to form a passage for light of theform of the desiredsymbol. In Fig. 2 the opaque coating is represented at c. The glassplate or covering 0 is inclosed in a frame d and is preferably providedon its outer surface with a translucent coating 0 composed of suitablecoloring-matter, such as oil-paint, disposed to form a picture or otherdesign, the coating 0 being of such nature that when one of the lamps ais illuminated the light issuing from the correspondin g light-openingwill shine through the coating 0 and will show clearly through saidcoating the form of the light-opening. It will be seen, therefore, thatby forming the translucent coating 0 of a number of colors the whole maybe disposed to form a landscape or other design, as shown in Fig. 5, thelampcovering 0 and its frame (1 presenting the appearance of a picture,through which are flashed the symbols or representations defined by thelight-openings of the cells b.

The translucent coating 0 instead of being applied to the glass plate 0may be applied to a separate plate or pane composed of a material, suchas porcelain, through which the light can shine freely, the principalrequisite being to provide a picture which is continually visible andupon which advertising symbols may be intermittently projected.

A picture such as that above described presents an opaque appearancewhen illuminated wholly from the front and is obscurable 8 5 or renderedinvisible to the eye of an observer by an excess of light thrown uponthe back of the pane or plate on which the picture is painted. Henceareas of light projected on the pane through the light-openings 0 by thelamps have the effect of' temporarily effacing the corresponding partsof the picture, said parts being brightly illuminated and caused by thetrauslucence of the picture to stand out in sharp contrast with thesurrounding portions of the picture which are not thus illuminated. Saidsurrounding parts therefore retain the opaque effect and constitute aframe or setting for the illuminated areas on which the picture isobscured or effaced. The startling effect produced by the suddendisappearance of portions of an apparently opaque picture while otherportions remain unchanged gives the apparatus its chief value foradvertising purposes.

The filament of each lamp a is included in a branch circuit, which mayinclude a wire 2, connected with one end of the filament, a wire 3,connected with the other end of the filament, a terminal a, connectedwith the wire 2, and a terminal 5, connected with the wire 3. As hereshown, the terminal 4 is an elongated roll or cylinder, which isconnected with the wires 2 of all the branch circuits, while theterminal 5 isa narrow resilientstrip connected with only one of thewires 3, there being, therefore, as many terminals 5 as there are lampsa. The terminals 5are adapted to normally make contact with the terminal4, thus closing the branch circuits, the terminal 4 being permanentlyconnected with the main circuit, which receives electricity from asuitable source of supply.

6 represents a sheet or strip of insulating material, preferablyflexible, such as paper, which is interposed between the terminal 4 andthe series of terminals 5 and serves to prevent electric contact betweensaid terminals, excepting when perforations e, formed in the sheet e,coincide with the free ends of the terminals 5, thus allowing said freeends to make contact with the terminal 4.. The sheet e is preferablymade in the form of an endless band passing around the cylinder whichconstitutes the terminal at and around another cylinder (3. Theperforations in the sheet e are formed so that only one branch circuitcan be closed at a time, the arrangement of the perforations being suchthat as the sheet c is moved progressively between the terminals 4: and5 the lamps intended to be operated will be illuminated successively andin such order as to spell a word or series of words, as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. at, where an arrangement of perforationsdesigned to display the word America is shown.

The sheet 6 may be moved progressively by any suitable means. I havehere shown an electric motor f, the armature-shaft of which is connectedby a belt 9 with the shaft of the terminal or cylinder at. h representsa pressure-roll supported by resilient arms h and arranged to press thesheet 6 against the cylinderat at a point in advance of the terminals 5.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the sheet 6 is movedprogressively it will antom atically break and close the several branchcircuits connected with the terminals 5 that are allowed to make contactwith the terminal 4 by the perforations in the sheet, so that spectatorswatching the frame (Z and the matter inclosed thereby will see symbolsor letters appearing and disappearing successively and spelling out theword or series of words for which the sheet c has been perforated. Theframe cl may be placed in any suitable location and is shown in Fig. 1as placed in one end of a street-car, the sheet a and the mechanism withwhich it cooperates being placed below one of the seats of the car.

The apparatus may be arranged to show a rectangular or otherpredetermined block or area of light to mark the spaces between words,and to this end one or more of the cells or casings b may have itsentire outer end open instead of being provided with a lightopeningformed as a symbol or letter. In Fig. 1 I show two such openings i t.The lamps behind these openings are or may be connected with terminals 5at one end of the row, these terminals being permitted to make contactwith the terminal 4: by special perforations 6 which are arranged toclose one of the branch circuits after each word has been spelled.

The construction above described provides for the use of interchangeableadvertising symbols, owing to the fact that either of the lamps a may beutilized, and they may be used successively in any prearranged order, asdesired.

I do not wish to be confined to the precise details of construction andarrangement hereinbefore set forth, as the same may be variouslymodified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. An advertising apparatus comprising a translucent pane orsheet having a picture or design, said picture presenting an opaqueappearance when illuminated wholly from the front, and being obscurableor effaceable by an excess of light from the back, and means foradmitting light to portions of the back of the pane, whereby thecorresponding portions of the picture are obscured or eifaced, the otherportions of the picture remaining visible and forming a framing orsetting for the portions of the pane on which the picture is thusobscured or effaced, said last-mentioned portions being illuminated andcaused by the translucence of the pane or sheet to stand out in strongcontrast with the surrounding portions of the picture, so thatrelatively small areas having the form of letters may be flashedconspicuously upon any desired part or parts of the picture.

2. An advertising apparatus comprising a translucent pane or sheethaving a picture or design, said picture presenting an opaque appearancewhen illuminated wholly from the front, and being obscurable oreffaceable by an excess of light from the back, a series of incandescentlamps located behind said pane, a member interposed between the pane andthe lamps and provided with light-outlets differing in design, and meansfor intermittently name to this specification, in the presence ofilluminating the lamps to form illuminated two subscribing Witnesses,this 26th day of IO areas on the pane, said illuminated areas August, A.D. 1897.

temporarily obscurin or effacin the correspending portions of the picture and con- WILLARD GILMAN' trasting strongly with the unobscured por- IWitnesses:

tions thereof. H. L. ROBBINS,

In testimony whereof I have signed my E. BATCHELDER.

